The Fiction Challenge: ‘My Younger Me’ By John C. Gyorki

Wild Card Image

For one who reads, there is no limit to the number of lives that may be lived, for fiction, biography, and history offer an inexhaustible number of lives in many parts of the world, in all periods of time ~Louis L’Amour~

Well hello again, my dear friends of the blogosphere. I took up the challenge to write a fiction based story, my first ever. My goal is to reach people of all ages. I am not sure how everyone will warm up to it, but I must say, it was a challenge.

The image above was the inspiration for describing the scene. The idea behind the story was inspired by a song of one of my favorite Christian Music bands, Mercy Me.

I reached deep and wide into the hodge-podge mess of my mind from all influences that are of interest to me. A little bit of science mixed with some spiritual-based goodness topped off with real-life experiences, all mixed together to create a story.

When I finished writing my draft, I read it to my wife, nephew (10), and niece (9) out loud to see how they would respond. Well, I held their interest, no one ran out of the room screaming, or begged me to stop reading. They said they enjoyed it, or maybe, they just didn’t want to hurt my feelings.

Please read, enjoy, and let me know what you think? I sincerely hope you like it, if not, it’s ok, because I know of four people who do; plus, I enjoyed writing this piece. Thank you, John

My Younger Me

Summer Solstice

Finally, my work day was over. I was eager to get home and knock off a couple of chores from my to-do list. While driving home I made a mental list of what needed my attention first. I figured when I finished, the wife and I could prepare a meal to eat and then afterward, go for a nice long evening walk on the Lakeland trail.

As always, my mind bounced around in endless thoughts about anything and everything. I’m a thinker, this is normal for me while driving home.

My wife called, she typically checks in before she leaves her job, to ask if I need anything from the food market.

“Hey honey, how are you?” I asked.

“I’m good, just wondering if you need anything from the market?” She replied.

“Actually, I am approaching the signal drop zone, so if I lose you, I’ll call back just as soon as I clear that area, ok?

I have traveled this same country road to work for almost thirty years now. I could never understand why this particular area dropped calls so easily. It never fails, always in the same area, but when the summer solstice approaches every year, the area of signal loss widens. It’s all flatlands, there shouldn’t be any loss whatsoever.

I’ve always been a person of curiosity — a troubleshooter. I’m always trying to figure things out. I couldn’t add up all the hours I’ve spent mulling over in my mind why this strange phenomenon occurs. This summer solstice thing has piqued my curiosity since age seven. I’ve obsessed and read the science behind this natural event along with the farfetched stories behind it. The one that particularly interested me was according to Christian history; John the Baptist was born on this day.

I don’t know why this day fascinates me so much? It’s like I have this weird connection to it. Every year the same thing keeps happening. The day draws closer, and I start feeling like something is tugging at me.

Car Trouble and Weeping

While ranting in my thoughts, out of nowhere an ultra-bright burst of light whizzed right in front of me. The light was blinding. At the same second the burst happened, my car sputtered and stop running. I saw an opening along the roadside to veer off on, to coast to a complete stop.

Well, fancy that! What happened here, I thought. I took my mobile phone out and sure enough, “NO SIGNAL! DARN IT!” I exclaimed. Hopefully, I won’t need to call a tow truck.

I looked in my rear-view mirrors to check for any vehicles approaching my way.

“All clear,” I said. Annoyed by my inconvenience, I jumped out of my car and unlatched the hood to peek at anything obvious. While standing in front of my car engrossed in trying to figure out the issues with my car, I thought I heard a faint sound of weeping. I shrugged it off as my imagination. The more I tried to focus on my engine problem the louder the weeping came through.

What in the world is that I hear? I thought to myself. I hope it’s not a person in distress or something? When I thought that, dread came over me. I stood quietly to hone in on the direction the weeping came from. Deciding which way to go. I made my way towards a path I, for whatever reason, felt lured too. I think I better investigate, maybe someone needs help?

The closer I approached to the path I noticed a tingling sensation overwhelm my body. As crazy as this day is already going, I felt as if the path was prompting me to follow it. The urge to know more took hold of my curiosity.

Then suddenly, a keen sense of Deja vu set in.

The Path of the Unknown

I feel like I’ve been here before. I came across an impressively beautiful path uniquely glowing of warm inviting light. The trees intertwined with each other creating a splendorous, foliage tunnel allowing some of the natural light to bleed through. About a hundred feet in, I could see, not a blinding bright light, but a radiant yellow glow. It reminded me of an early morning fog except sunshine married the foggy mist, sort of like a hot, hazy, summer day without the heat, but thicker.

I felt no fear what so ever. Overwhelming love and comfort saturated every part of my being.

Now I have seen gorgeous, scenic places in my days, and have been moved to tears because of its beauty. However, being in the presence of this spectacular area prompted my soul to be a part of it. It was enjoying and engaging me. I could feel it.

Without hearing words, I felt an urgency to move forward. Feeling drawn in, I sensed a need to progress deeper in towards the end of the tunnel. I lifted and placed my feet gently down on the ground to begin my walk. As awkward as it may sound, I didn’t want to hurt the ground from my body weight.

While walking, I witnessed whispering leaves breathing on me. The branches moved in a rhythmic pattern giving off a sound like a violinist weaving their bow back and forth across its strings humming to my spirit.

Off in the distance, I continued to hear weeping sounds which grew louder as I walked in the direction I felt prompted to move towards. The air had a fragrance better and sweeter — purer than the freshest “after rainfall” smell I have ever experienced in my life. I couldn’t inhale enough air into my lungs to satisfy my need for its intoxicating effect it had on me.

I continued my walk on the path looking all around in amazement. I had a tough time wrapping my mind around the sunlit, illuminated landscape which gently engulfed the multitude of colored leaves. The moss and grass looked like silk floating in the breeze; the dirt sparkled like a newly cut diamond.

The leaves below my feet felt like I hovered on a cushion of air. Oddly enough, I did not hear the crushing sound you would typically hear from dried leaves. Curious, I leaned over and scooped up a few leaves. Aggressively, I started crumbling them with my right hand to make sure my imagination was not playing tricks on me. Not one sound came from the leaves, nor did they disintegrate in my grasp.

Moving closer to the end of the tunnel, the weeping sound I heard became louder with each step. The spot that caught my eye was a brilliantly lit pathway. Upon moving in closer to the point at which the tunnel ended, an openness appeared. What I saw caught me off guard by the vibrational movement of the openness. My description can only be summed up this way, what I am looking at is like a scorching sizzling summer day with heat waves radiating off the ground in the distance, but without heat. That particular area waved like an invisible veil inviting me into its presence. Approaching with caution, I heard the weeping sounds increase.

Once I arrived at the end of the path, I could visibly see through the veil a majestic gloriousness that was filled with the bluest skies and mountain tops that profoundly affected my incomprehensible ability to describe what I saw before me. It moved me in such a way that I thought heavens doors opened for just a fleeting glimpse, offering me validation of my future home, and assurance of one day being a part of this family, but for now, this was not the case of why I was here.

The small subtle voice within me asked to raise my right hand and press into the vibrational waving veil. My inner voice directed me to break the seal of the veil to enter through the portal. Not really knowing what to expect, I proceeded cautiously into the unknown. To my surprise, it wasn’t into the majestic landscape I had witnessed just a few seconds ago.

The Inner Voice of Reason

Poking my head slowly into this other realm is the only logical way of describing it. I saw a little boy about seven-years-old on his knees at his bedside weeping and praying. Stunned! I realized this was the weeping I heard before I entered the tunnel.

I calmly continued to watch and listen intently without disturbing the little boy’s prayer. The little fellas sobering words pulled at my heartstrings. The desperation in his voice commanded an urgent request to his Heavenly Father as he prayed to him.

“Dear God, please help my mommy and daddy with their problems. I do not know why they must yell at each other so much. I hear them say they love each other. If they really do, then why do they have to say sad things. Sometimes I see my mom do things I don’t understand. She leaves all these empty bottles around, I don’t know what’s in them, it just smells bad. I tasted it once, and it made me sick. When my dad finds them, he gets mad. So, when I find them, I try to hide them, too, so no one yells anymore. Please, God, help me.”

Feeling saddened by the little boy’s verbal plea for help, as he continued to sob uncontrollably, I felt a lump in my throat because of the emotional weight this child carried.

Losing myself in thoughts, I made a sudden move causing a sound to disburse in the room the little boy occupied. Startled, the young child turned and looked straight at me. Our eyes locked, we both froze completely motionless in the moment. I was taken back when the little boy looked at me. Oh, my WORD, IT WAS ME, FIFTY YEARS AGO! That little boy, IS ME!

In that instant, my life’s worth of memories bombarded my conscious thoughts. I relived every searing moment of pain that little boy experienced there in the bedroom. It was me enduring the rush of sadness blazing through my veins, once again.

What am I here for I thought? My internal voice explained my job was to teach, comfort, love, and encourage him.

The little boy stayed on his knees looking up at me with his sadden swollen tearful eyes, and said, “are you an angel?”

The moment he spoke, I became aware he could see me. I walked into his bedroom very slowly not to scare him, now realizing it was my bedroom from my youth. The vibrational veil sealed itself behind me no longer visible to the human eye. My inner voice guided my thoughts to remain calm while I was here. My recollection of paying myself visits during moments of great disparity emerged from my heightened sense of awareness. I’m only able to remember certain moments when summoned by my inner voice to intervene.

I asked the little boy, “are you afraid Johnny?” “No… but, are you sure you’re not an angel?” He asked innocently. Then realizing I called him by name, he asked, “Hey, how do you know my name? What’s your name? I feel like you know me.” he replied with a curious tone.

I chuckled at his question. “No, I’m not an angel, but my name is John and I do think the Father brought me here to help you. You know that small little voice inside you that asked for help?” I explained.

“Yes, the one that lets me know when I don’t tell the truth or I did something bad? That one?” He replied.

“Yes, Johnny, that one. That’s why I am here. I want you to know I love you and that you will be ok, do you trust me.” I asked.

“Yes, I think so. Will you please help me then, John?” He asked with urgency.

“I will do my best Johnny,” I replied.

From no fault of his own, his parents’ quarrelsome affairs crushed his youthful spirit. He only tried to make sense of his predicament by limited understanding of the world around him.

Pausing for a moment, I began to question my inner voice of what I was supposed to do. My first thought was to make little Johnny aware of all the hardships he will be faced with throughout his life, and make him aware of all the positive achievements he would accomplish.

I entertained the idea of telling him what he needed to spare him the emotional pain which would alter his life drastically. By doing so, I would be able to take all my current knowledge to make changes in his life that would radically affect my present time. Realistically, I have the power to position myself to gain great prosperity. It would be a new beginning different from my current life.

My inner voice spoke wisdom, “John, you can do as you say, but, those hardships you went through are the very providential elements bestowed upon you to make you the man of character you are today. Had it not been for these trials and tribulations you would not have gained the wisdom you now have, which is far greater in value than any wealth you can accumulate from the world. Why would you want to gain the entire world to lose your soul? This is a privilege you have, do not jeopardize it.”

“You wouldn’t want to miss out on all the experiences of your lifetime, both good, and bad, now would you? The breath of life granted every relational encounter to cross your path. He allowed the love of family, your wife, and children who are all a part of the grand purpose of the One above. Your spiritual relationship to your Heavenly Father is the greatest gift of all. He is always with you and your inner voice will be your guide as long as you believe and live out your life.”

“What about the pressures placed on this young child?” I demanded to know.

My inner voice said, “As you already witnessed, the young child is exactly where he needs to be. The boy’s hardships are necessary to mold him into what the Father has planned for him. He will be safe.”

Only seconds passed, as I communicated within my thoughts. Time calculated differently while my visit to my younger self took place. I knew my presence was limited to finish the task I needed to do.

My job is to be the small inner voice of reason to help guide and direct this little boy, not to alter anything, only to guide, love and encourage, period.

Time to Go

The tingling I felt throughout my body when I first sensed my calling from the beginning of my invitation started waving over me again. The hair on my neck and arms stood on end like static from pulling an old dry sweater rapidly off my body. The same sensation I felt when walking towards and through the majestic foliage tunnel. It was prompting me to finish my visit with my younger self because I had to return to my normal place in time.

It was time to proceed, so we made eye contact, and without verbal words spoken, we merged our inner voice to communicate one last time before I parted ways to leave.

I knelt alongside my little seven-year-old self to close in prayer. I reached to embrace his small framed body to give him assurance of his safety, also, not to worry but encouraged him to have forgiveness in his heart to those who have hurt us.

As we clasped our hands together to pray, our heads bowed down. Without audible words, only our inner spirit merged, I communicated this last bit of wisdom from my heart.

“Johnny, all I can tell our souls is this, people want to do good in the world, except they had bad experiences with people who hurt them much like they hurt us. So, they end up spending all their days trying to figure out what hurt them inside. When they can’t figure out what hurt them inside, they lean on unhealthy habits to cover up their pain, but if they would listen to the small inner voice of reason like we do. They would be much better off to avoid bad decisions. If everyone took a minute to stop, silence their minds, and to hear their own small subtle inner voice calling them, they would listen to their internal guide that is plugged into the Father’s will in heaven, they would rid themselves of the inner battle they can’t seem to stop. It would stop the fallen angel who is the voice of destruction and the one who seeks to destroy us mentally, spiritually, and emotionally, dead in his tracks. Do you understand?”

“I think so,” Johnny replied

Assuring my younger self, I continued to counsel him, saying, “I promise if we pray and listen to our small inner voice to guide us on our life’s journey. Our Heavenly Father will hear us because he is always with us. If we simply remember to do this, our faith will increase as we grow older.”

After we finished praying, little Johnny looked at me and asked, “will I see you again?”

I replied, “I’m not sure if we will see each other again, that is up to our Heavenly Father to decide. However, I will always be with us and in our heart. I can only make that promise. Will that be enough for you?”

“Yes John, I’m going to miss you. I love you,” replied Johnny.

“I love you too little man, you will be just fine,” I said to myself.

I heard the humming sound of the vibrational veil when it reappeared once again, waving its displaced image, calling me to enter back through the tunnel to my normal place in time. I stood up and started walking towards the entrance of splendor. Looking back, I saw the biggest smile come from my younger self with his tiny hand waving at me. Without words, we exchanged our goodbyes. I nodded and gave a little wink farewell. I willed the words to his mind, “it was good to see you, Johnny, remember what we learned here today.”

I entered through the vibrational veil while it waved gracefully and hummed all around me. I couldn’t stop marveling at its elegant mystical form as it sealed up behind me while glancing back. Once through the veil, I noticed my location was the same precise area of point of entry.

I made my way back through the tingling sensation of the majestically beautiful foliage tunnel listening to it speak musically to my heart. I wanted to remember every pleasing moment of this experience, but the promptings of my inner voice spoke to me, “as you walk towards your point of entry of time, your memory of this glorious event will fade, but what had transpired will be pressed upon your heart to continue to transform you into the man your Heavenly Father wants you to be.” I acknowledged my inner voice and continued my walk.

Just before leaving the tunnel, my memory did indeed start fading back to my normal reality as I remembered it. When looking ahead to see the end of my walk was near, I noticed an elderly man about twenty years my senior walking towards me. For his age, he carried himself well. As he approached towards me, we locked eyes. Without words exchanged, he slapped me on the shoulder as he passed saying,” Good to see you, Johnny, you’re looking good, I’m proud of you and so is your Heavenly Father.” He glanced back while finishing his pass and gave me a nod and a little wink then disappeared into the indescribably beautiful glowing pure light of the foliage tunnel. I thought, hey is that…? At that instant, all memories of the event I had been involved in, ended.

Roadside Reality

Well, while scratching my head, I can’t seem to find anything wrong with my car, maybe it was just a fluke thing. I’ll try starting it again,” I said aloud to myself.

Since I parked, on the side of the road, I made sure no vehicles were passing while I climbed into my car safely. After a few cars had passed. I made my way to the car door to open it and climbed in to give my car a try. I placed the key in the ignition to start it. It instantly fired up and never sputtered anymore. Thank goodness it was only a few minutes delay, I thought to myself.

I eased my way back onto the road after making sure it was clear to do so. I began my drive home. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket to check the signal level to call my wife again. Then I noticed the time display on my cell. That’s strange, how is it possible for my cell phone clock to be off by six hours? I thought. I looked at my radio clock on my dashboard — that time was spot on. I only wasted about fifteen minutes fiddling with my car, huh. I know my cellphone signal was out because of the signal drop zone. Now all of that is normal. Oh well, I thought. I’ll blame the summer solstice for it, I laughed. After all, they say strange phenomena can occur on this day, yeah right! I thought, laughing aloud.Words are powerful. They can build or tear down. They can ignite fires or calm a storm. Once released, you cannot take them back. It’s done! ~ John. C Gyorki

Monthly Contributor: John C. Gyorki

John is currently an Electrical Skilled Tradesman for the University of Michigan. He has over 33 years experience in his field. He resides in Southern Michigan with his wife Maryann. He spent four years in the Marine Corp as a 7011 (Aircraft Launch & Recovery Tech). After his tour, he completed a four year Inside Wireman Electrical Apprenticeship with I.B.E.W. (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers).

At a very young age, John developed a love for reading and hoarding books and has continued to do so. It wasn’t uncommon to see him writing notes about something. John believes inspiration comes from an intentional reading of the Word and following the Lord. He feels it encourages better living and thinking.

When John is not working, writing and reading books of various genres, he is trying his best at being a husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend, and uncle. On occasion, you’ll see him making sausage and jerky or fermenting cabbage and pickles. He is always put in charge of making Hungarian Goulash over an open pit fire. No one else is allowed!

“My goal is to foster traditional family community and common sense thinking”.

“ I enjoy reading books about personal life experiences. When people are at their lowest, broken point and then making a victorious comeback.”

John C. Gyorki

John started writing January of 2016. He submitted his first publication May of 2016 right here at Two Drops of Ink.

He is developing his voice as a writer and continues to work on his website.

Published posts on Two Drops of Ink:

Two Drops of Ink: The Literary Home for Collaborative Writing

Our published contributors enjoy becoming a part of an established, award-winning blog. They gain exposure from our ever-growing audience. In turn, we gain the audience that they bring with their writing. Join the Two Drops of Ink family. Read our submission guidelines.

We have more than 40 wonderful contributing authors who have been published on this site. Check out their bios. Read their work. Visit their sites. Check out our list of ‘Published Contributors.’

Published by S.W. Biddulph

Scott Biddulph is a published writer, author, and poet from North Georgia. He began writing as a youngster and followed his lifelong dream of reaching people through the written word when he returned to The University of North Georgia in 2013 to finish earning his BA/English with a concentration on publication and creative writing. His publications include the following: an eBook, Apples of Gold: A collection of inspirational short stories and poems (Smashwords, 2010) and a paperback, Voices from the Heart, (Createspace, 2012). His poetry is published in Papers and Publications Undergraduate Research Journal. Vol 3 (2014) and the award-winning Chestatee Review (Spring, 2015), among other places (Check his LinkedIn profile for a full list of his publications). He is currently working on publishing poetry, creative non-fiction, academic essays, and his memoir.
********
Scott has also worked as an intern editor for the University of North Georgia Press. As a freelance editor, he has done the layout and design of several books and magazines. He is currently working with several authors on various publication projects in which he is either ghostwriting, editing manuscripts, or doing the layout and design of their books.
********
Finally, and most importantly, he is a father, grandfather, husband, and dedicated Harley Davidson rider. He and his family enjoy the beauty of the North Georgia Mountains where they live—especially their screened in back porch where they love to bird watch.
********
~ "I love realism. I love writing about the raw, down-to-Earth, heartfelt realities of life. I love to write in a way that reaches into the human soul—to take the greatest pains and struggles in life, and make them a blessing to others. Fantasy is a wonderful, interesting thing—but real-life situations, feelings, fears, and dreams are an unexplored ocean of stories that need to be told." ~
~Scott Biddulph~
View all posts by S.W. Biddulph

Yeah, I kept on looking for that voting place. You said Blue was for voting… nothing there. Then I saw the hands holding up signs spelling VOTE HERE. Clicked and voted without vacillating for your story. You deserve to win. Great story indeed! I recently started participating in challenges/contests. I just got done with my third(SFB). Perhaps one day I’ll join you here. I want to know more. Yay! All the best. Selma Writes.

This was Fantasy-Fantastic John. I found it long yet Read it all from start to finish. Kept me intrigued. I entered here to vote for your story but couldn’t find the blue button you referred to. I’ll look for it later again.
I’m following your blog. It’s amazing. For sure I could learn a lot from you. I want to.
I really love your writing style and your well crafted stories. Thanks for sharing them and I loved it that you took me there— to that glorious place! All the best. Selma.

Wow! Just wow! That was so fantastic and not anything like I was expecting. I thoroughly enjoyed your story. I’ve not tried a first person story, maybe I will next time. With it being first person, it was like you were sitting here telling me what actually happened, but then it was a dream … something like that. Love it!

Thank you Marsha! I tried my hand at a time travel story with the first person not realizing its been happening over and over for years. Only when difficult periods arose, I was summoned back to comfort and council myself. When finished, it was business as usual with only a sense of deja vu of the event occurring.
Appreciate you Marsha! High five karate kick! LOl 🙂 John

I’m so glad you accepted the challenge, John and are sharing the outcome here! Very imaginative story complete with time travel and spiritual lessons!
I hope we will be graced by more of your stories in the near future ??

I got it in…so it will come around at some point. I decided to pick the picture that was the biggest stretch for me, so I did the computer face one. I really wanted to do the rocking chair one…but I decided to grow myself a bit instead.

Follow us on WordPress

Amazon Best Selling Products

Top 50 Best Writing Blogs 2017

What does it take to become a good writer? A fierce passion for words. A spark of inspiration. A wealth of creativity. Oh, and perseverance by the bucketful. We write to truly express ourselves and... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

...when she extended her hand to her earthly father, and let her Heavenly Father’s love and forgiveness flow through her, she was set free... The post Creative Non-Fiction: Going Home appeared first... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]